A few weeks ago, we did an unboxing and first impressions of the Wiko LENNY3, a Ksh 8,999 price phone running on Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) powered by a Quad-Core 1.3 GHz, Cortex-A7 processor. The Gold colored phone weighs around 177g and comes with a 2000mAh removable battery.
Like most of the Wiko family it’s a 16 GB internal memory expandable to 64GB and has 1 GB RAM with a 5” HD display screen.
Key Specs
OS: Android™ 6.0 (Marshmallow)
Processor : Quad-Core 1.3 GHz, Cortex-A7
Sim CARD : 1 Mini SIM + 1 Micro SIM
Weight : 177g (with battery)
Battery : 2000 mAh Li-ion
Internal memory : 16 GB expandable to 64 GB via Micro USD.
RAM : 1 GB
Main camera : 8 MP with flash.
Front camera: 5 MP
Display & Appearance
At Ksh 9,000, you The review piece of the Wiko Lenny3 comes in a metallic gold back cover with an 8 Megapixel camera at the back, a 5 inch full HD super AMOLED display screen and a front 5MP camera with a Wiko logo at the top right.
The 177g smartphone is a bit heavier but its rounded curves make it fit and feel good in the palm and feels cool to touch. It’s full HD 5” display screen has a Super AMOLED display promises a quick response time for apps and media, use of less power and a clear image due to the thin screen. The thin screen is good for watching movies, reading and viewing photos.
The 5-inch display has a good resolution of 1280×720 pixels but the brightness is low making outdoor use of the phone hard. However, if you adjust its brightness, the Wiko LENNY3 5’’ HD display is good for viewing multimedia content.
Hardware, OS & Performance
The Wiko Lenny3 has a metal design back cover and comes in Grey, Bleen, Lemon Yellow, Cinnabar, Gold and Rose Gold colors. The phone uses a 4 core 1.3 GHz, Cortex-A7 processor which sufficiently powers most functions of the phone well. The phone has a fair performance on reading, listening to music and web browsing. It’s not the best browsing speeds but the phone stacks it up.
The phone is not good for heavy gaming as demanding games slow the processor down and a user has to restart it over again to work. The 1GB RAM also doesn’t help and slows speeds and makes the touchscreen insensitive. Its 8MP main camera can take some fairly good photos in broad daylight but the quality fades in poor light. The 5MP front camera also has an LED flash and a wider angle for a group selfie but it won’t take brilliant photos like other premium smartphones with better cameras.
We had a bad experience with the phone’s 2000 mAh removable battery during our review. We expected 2000 mAh to be tougher than it was but the longest time the battery could work on 3G and music was 3 hours and double that on basic phone functions. The weight and the battery capacity are Wiko Lenny 3’s two worst nightmares and we expect the firm to work on a better Lenny version soon. The phone’s apps for battery life optimization aren’t so helpful for users who want a full smartphone experience as they only allow users access to basic functions such as SMS, voice and calculator.
Like the Wiko Robby, Wiko Ufeel Lite, the Wiko Lenny 3 has a customized Wiko UI for easy access to apps, music and battery optimization and gives the phone a cool feel and appearance away from the Android 6.0 Marshmallow UI which is found on millions of Android devices.
However, with LENNY3 at the price its selling in the market, its 16GB ROM extendible to 64 GB via micro SD and Android 6.0 Marshmallow, 3G capabilities and the 8MP main camera; one wouldn’t mind giving out as a gift to new smartphone users. Wiko Lenny is targeted at migrating users from feature phones to smartphones and that makes it a perfect fit for sub-Saharan Africa.
What we liked
+ Dual SIM
+16GB internal memory expandable to 64GB
+ The price
+Removable battery
+ 5inch display screen
What we disliked
– Weak battery
– Low RAM
– No 4G
– Low camera capacity
– Poor voice quality
Conclusion
Wiko Lenny 3 is worth all its price as its targeted at new smartphone users moving up the ladder from feature phones. The only problem users will have is the weak battery which runs for only half a day. The smartphone is also a bit heavy for its features and Wiko might need to up the battery, reduce its weight and up its camera to make the new version a sale across Africa where the entry-level market is still virgin.
